Grass-harvesting machine.



R. W. CURETON.

GRASS HARVESTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.25.1918.

Patented July 29, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I /Z, 14 Cwrafard wmmw THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WAJHINGTON. D, C.

R, W. CURETON.

GRASS HARVESTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 25. 1918- 1,3 1 1,382. Patented July 29, 1919.

2 SHEETS'SHEET 2;

Wa i m a gag: Guam 'rm: COLUMBIA VLANDGRAPH cu, WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED; STAT Es; PATENT OFFICE- Y i: RICHARD WALLACE cunn'roiv, OF'LORDSBURG, NEW MEXICO;

, GRASS-HARVESTING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern. I

Be it known that I, RICHARD WALLACE and useful Grass-Harvesting Machine;.and

I do hereby declare the. following to' bea v .full, clear, and exact description of theinvention,'such asvvill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved .grass harvesting machine, and anobject of the'inventlonls to provide anappa'ratus of this kind particularly 'adapted to harvest or uproot grass and the like, particularly what is known as bear grass that grows.

.. very extensively in certain sections of the country. This, grass is somewhat in; the

form of celery when torn out of, the ground and it grows in clusters about five feet high in areas of about two square feet. This kind of grass when .harvestedwill break off below the ground about two inches, leaving the roots intact in the groundj,and which; roots Will again sprout. 1 p f:

One of the objects of the 'invention" is to provide, an improved machine ofthis kind having means for efficiently harvesting the grass, whereby the roots may remain intact in the ground.

A further object of the invention is toprovide a machine comprising a main frame and an auxiliary frame pivotally supported thereon, and a revoluble wheel drum mounted in bearings of the pivoted frame, said drum having grass gathering or rooting fingers on its perimeter for gathering or rooting the grass from the soil, so as to leave the roots intact.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means for raising and lowering the pivoted frame, whereby the depth of the grass rooting drum may be regulated.

In practical fields the details of construction may necessitate alterations falling within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings Figure l is a plan view of the improved Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January 25, 1918. Serial No. 213,672.

Patented July 29, 1919 harvesting machine constructed in accord-.5

ance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the:

same.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig.1.

.Fig. 4 is a plan view of'one ofthe-teeth l of the grass rooting drum..

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of said tooth.

Fig. 6-i s a detail view of. said tooth aw 1 ing the means for, fastening the same, se-,

curely to the perimeter of the drum.

Referring more especially to the drawings, 1 designates the main frame, which 1s mountt ed upon forward and rear supporting wheels 2 and "3, the axle 1 of the forward wheels has connected thereto a suitable tongue 5, where by the machinemaybe drawn bydraft .ani-.

mals, or attached to the rear of a wagon or.-

other vehicle, to trail "in the rear. lilounted in bearings 6 of the under part of the main frame is a shaft 7, on the ends'of. whichthe 7 5 rear ends. of the siderailsS of the auxiliary frameg; are 'pivotally mounted, there being,

collarslQ secnred by pinsl l on said shaft-to hold the side rails in place. Suitable collars 12. inter v'ene between the. rails 8 and the sides ,ofthe main frame 1.

The main frame 1 also consists of the forward rail 13, the rear part 1 1 and the side rails 15. A shaft 16 is mounted in bearings 17 of the side rails 8 of said auxiliary pivoted frame. Mounted upon the shaft 16 is a wheel drum 18, keyed to rotate with the shaft. On the perimeter of the drum are series of grass gathering teeth 19. The teeth of each series are arranged V-shaped, and each tooth 20 comprises the parts 21 and 22 extending at right angles to each other. The part 21 is provided with a cylindrical body 28 which is threaded into the perimeter of the drum, there being a key engaging the key-ways 24 and 25 of the perimeter of the drum and the body 23, to prevent the tooth from turning. It is to be noted that the part 20 extends radially from the perimeter of the drum, while the part 22 extends substantially concentric with the perimeter of the drum and the forward bevel portion of the part 22 the direction of the arrow a when the ma- I sired bygthe operator.

chine or apparatus is driven forwardly, and since the teeth are arranged V-shaped as shown in Fig. 1, 'and the teethof each series in stepped relation, the parts 22 act to gather and the the bear grass. The teeth 26 being shar V-shaped will dig into .the blades of grass and consequently grasp the blades of grass at a point near but above the ground, so that as the drum further revolves, the blades of grass will be broken from the stalks at a point above the ground, thereby leaving a portion of the grass andthe roots in the ground, in order to spring orsprout up again. Mounted in bearings 27 of the side rails 15 of the frame 1 is a shaft 28. A chain 29 is wound about the shaft 28anfd has one end connected at 30 to said shaft, and its other end to an eye 31 of the lower forwardend ofv the frame 9; Carried by and rotatable with the shaft 28is worm'wheel 32, which meshes with the worm '33. of the shaft .34. r

The shaft 341s mounted in the bearings35 on the frame 1. Suitabl collars 36 are secured by pins 37 on the shaft 34 and in en- I gagement with the bearings 35, so as to pre- 'vent axial movementvof the shaft 34, A

hand wheel 38 is secured by a pin 39 on the rear end of the shaft 34, whereby the shaft 34 may be rotated, and through its worm I connection with the shaft 28, the chain 29 may beoperatedfs'o as to raiseor lower the frame '9, consequently govern the position of the Wheel drum, whereby theteeth thereon mayroot the bear grass as may be deof any conventional type 40 is mountedupon the frame 1 at the rear thereof, andthe shaft 41 of this motor has a pulley '42, which, by means of the belt 43, is belted to the'pulley Copies of this patent may be obtained for A suitable gas motor 44 which is keyed on the shaft 7. One end of the shaft 7 has a pulley 45, and by means of the belt 46 said pulley is belted to the pulley 47 on the shaft 16. The motor 4O is operated so as to drive the belt 43 in the d-irection: of the arrow 48,; whichwill operate the wheel drum in the desireddirection, as indicated b'y the arrow at. A team of draft animals (not shown) may be connected to the tongue 51 for drawing the apparatus, or the tongue may be connected to the rear of a wagon or other vehicle as atrailer. How-' 7 ever, if desired the front wheels 2 and their axle may beremoved and the frame 1' may be pivotally connected to the tail end of a wagon or the like.

The inventionh'aving been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is e In combination witha Wheel drum having l1aV'lI1g.-a, threaded connection in said I, rim,

and means to'prevent the radial armfrom unscrewing. a V

In testimony whereof I have signed myfl "name'fto this specification in the presence of i two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses: T 'J. E. PAULUS,

Jones;

five 'cents each} addressing the Commissioner of'I'atent's, Washington, 11,03;

RICHARD WALLACE CURETON; 

